The inner life is a journey,
and before starting to take it there is a certain preparation
necessary. If one is not prepared, there is always the risk of having
to return before one has arrived at one's destination. When a person
goes on a journey, and when he has to accomplish something, he must
know what is necessary on the path and what he must take with him, in
order that his journey may become easy and that he may accomplish what
he has started to accomplish. The journey one takes in the inner life
is as long as the distance between the beginning of life and death, it
being the longest journey one ever takes throughout life; and one must
have everything prepared, so that after reaching a certain distance
one may not have to turn back.

The first thing that is
necessary is to see that there is no debt to be paid. £very soul has
a certain debt to pay in life; it may be to his mother or father, his
brother or sister, to his husband or wife or friend, or to his
children, his race, or to humanity; and if he has not paid what is
due, then there are cords with which he is inwardly tied, and they
pull him back. Life in the world is fair trade, if one could only
understand it, if one knew how many souls there are in this world with
whom one is connected or related in some way, or whom we meet freshly
every day. To everyone there is something due; and if one has not paid
one's obligations, the result is that afterwards one has to pay with
interest.

There is the inner
justice which is working beyond the worldly justice, and when man does
not observe that inner law of justice, it is because at that time he
is intoxicated, his eyes are closed, and he does not really know the
law of life. But that intoxication will not last; there will come a
day when the eyes of every soul will be opened; and it is a pity if
the eyes open when it is too late. It is better that the eyes are
opened while the purse is full, for it will be very difficult if the
eyes open at the time when the purse is empty. To some consideration
is due, to some respect, to some service, to some tolerance, to some
forgiveness, to some help. In some way or other, in every
relationship, in every connection there is something to pay; and one
must know before starting the journey that one has paid it, and be
sure that one has paid it in full, so there is nothing more to be
paid. Besides this it is necessary that man, before starting his
journey, realizes that he has fulfilled his duties, his duty to those
around him and his duty to God. But the one who considers his duty to
those around him sacredly does his duty to God.

Man must also consider,
before starting on his journey, whether he has learned all he desired
to learn from this world. If there is anything he has not learned, he
must finish it before starting the journey. For if he thinks, 'I will
start the journey, although I had the desire to learn something before
starting', in that case he will not be able to reach his goal; that
desire to learn something will draw him back. Every desire, every
ambition, every aspiration that he has in life must be gratified. Not
only this, man must have no remorse of any kind when starting on his
journey, and no repentance afterwards. If there is any repentance or
remorse, it must be finished before starting. There must be no grudge
against anybody, and no complaining of anyone having done him harm,
for all these things which belong to this world, if man took them
along, would become a burden on the spiritual path. The journey is
difficult enough, and it becomes more difficult if there is a burden
to be carried. If a person is lifting a burden of displeasure,
dissatisfaction, discomfort, it is difficult to bear it on that path.
It is a path to freedom, and to start on this path to freedom man must
free himself, no attachment should pull him back, no pleasure should
lure him back.

Besides this preparation
one needs a vehicle, a vehicle in which one journeys. That vehicle has
two wheels, and they are balance in all things. A man who is
one-sided, however great his power of clairvoyance or clairaudience,
whatever be his knowledge, yet is limited; he cannot go very far, for
it requires two wheels for the vehicle to run. There must be a
balance, the balance of the head and the heart, the balance of power
and wisdom, the balance of activity and repose. It is the balance
which enables man to stand the strain of this journey and permits him
to go forward, making his path easy. Never imagine for one moment that
those who show lack of balance can ever proceed further on the
spiritual journey, however greatly in appearance they may seem to be
spiritually inclined. It is only the balanced ones who are capable of
experiencing the external life as fully as the inner life; to enjoy
thought as much as feeling; to rest as well as to act. The center of
life is rhythm, and rhythm causes balance.

On this journey certain
coins are necessary also, to spend on the way. And what are these
coins? They are thoughtful expressions in word and in action. On this
journey man must take provision to eat and drink, and that provision
is life and light. And on this journey man has to take something in
which to clothe himself against wind, and storm, and heat, and cold;
and that garment is the vow of secrecy, the tendency to silence. On
this journey man has to bid farewell to others when starting, and that
farewell is loving detachment; before starting on this journey he has
to leave something behind with his friends, and that is happy memories
of the past.

We are all on the
journey; life itself is a journey. No one is settled here; we are all
passing onward, and therefore it is not true to say, that if we are
taking a spiritual journey we have to break our settled life; there is
no one living a settled life here; all are unsettled, all are on their
way. Only, by taking the spiritual journey you are taking another way,
one which is easier, better and more pleasant. Those who do not take
this way, they also will come in the end: the difference is in the
way. One way is easier, smoother, better; the other way is full of
difficulties; and as life has no end of difficulties from the time one
has opened one's eyes on this earth, so one may just as well choose
the smoother way to arrive at the destination at which all souls will
sometime arrive.

By 'inner life' is meant
a life directed towards perfection, which may be called the perfection
of love, harmony, and beauty; in the words of the orthodox, towards
God.

The inner life is not
necessarily in an opposite direction to the worldly life, but the
inner life is a fuller life. The worldly life means the limitation of
life; the inner life means a complete life. The ascetics who have
taken a direction quite opposite to the worldly life, have done so in
order to have the facility to search into the depths of life; but
going in one direction alone does not make a complete life. Therefore
the inner life means the fullness of life.

In brief, one may say
that the inner life consists of two things: action with knowledge, and
repose with passivity of mind. By accomplishing these two contrary
motions, and by keeping balanced in these two directions one comes to
the fullness of life. A person who lives the inner life is as innocent
as a child, even more innocent than a child; but at the same time
wiser than many clever people put together. This shows as a
development in two contrary directions. The innocence of Jesus has
been known through the ages. In his every movement, in his every
action, he appeared to be as a child. All the great saints and sages,
the great ones who have liberated humanity, have been as innocent as
children and at the same time wiser, much more so, than the
worldly-wise. And what makes it so? What gives them this balance? It
is repose with passiveness. When they stand before God, they stand
with their heart as an empty cup; when they stand before God to learn,
they unlearn all things that the world has taught them; when they
stand before God, their ego, their self, their life, is no more before
them. They do not think of themselves in that moment with any desire
to be fulfilled, with any motive to be accomplished, with any
expression of their own; but as empty cups, that God may fill their
being, that they may lose the false self.

Therefore the same thing
helps them in their everyday life to show a glimpse of the quiet
moment of repose they had with God. They show in their everyday life
innocence and yet not ignorance; they know things and they do not
know. They know if somebody is telling a lie; but do they accuse that
person? Do they say, 'You are telling a lie'? They are above it. They
know all the plays of the world, and they look at them all passively;
they rise above things of this world which make no impression on them.
They take people quite simply. Some may think that they are ignorant
in their world-lives, that they take no notice of things that are of
no importance. Activity with wisdom makes them more wise, because it
is not everybody in this world who directs his every action with
wisdom. There are many who never consult wisdom in their action; there
are others who seek refuge under wisdom after their action; and very
often it is then too late. But the ones who live the inner life all
direct their activity with wisdom; every moment, every action, every
thought, every word is first thought out, is first weighed, and
measured, and analyzed before it is expressed. Therefore in the world
everything they do is with wisdom, but before God they stand with
innocence; there they do not take worldly wisdom.

Man often makes mistakes,
either by taking one way or the other, and therefore he lacks balance
and does not come to touch perfection. For instance, when he takes the
way of activity in the path of God, he also wishes to use his wisdom
there; in the path of God also he wishes to be active, where he does
not need action. It is just like swimming against the fide; where you
must be innocent, if you use your wisdom there it is the greatest
error. Then there are others who are accustomed to take passivity as a
principle with which they stand before God in their innocence; and
they wish to use the same principle in all directions of life, which
would not be right.